Chris Huhne and ex-wife to face court showdown

Chris Huhne has become the first Cabinet minister in living memory to be
charged with a serious criminal offence after the fall-out from his
acrimonious divorce left him facing court, a potential jail sentence and the
end of his political career.

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Vicky Pryce told the Sunday Times that Chris Huhne had asked 'someone' to take his penalty points following a speeding offence in March 2003Photo: PA

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Chris Huhne announces his resignation from the cabinet after being chargedPhoto: Sky

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The alleged offence is said to have taken place in March 2003Photo: SOLENT NEWS

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Government sources said that the decision to charge Mr Huhne spells the end of his Cabinet careerPhoto: PA

By Robert Winnett, Political Editor

8:49PM GMT 03 Feb 2012

The Energy Secretary was forced to resign within minutes of the announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service that he had been charged with perverting the course of justice. The senior Liberal Democrat will make his first court appearance in less than a fortnight.

Mr Huhne and his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, have both been charged with the same offence after it was alleged that she agreed to accept speeding points on behalf of her then husband.

The charges carry a maximum life sentence although legal precedent suggests that a guilty verdict in such a case would probably lead to a prison sentence of fewer than two years.

Mr Huhne now faces the prospect of a court showdown with his wife, whose allegations about the incident prompted the police investigation that resulted in yesterday’s announcement.

The claims first emerged last year at the height of a bitter divorce after Mr Huhne left Miss Pryce for one of his aides. The speeding charge dates back to 2003 and the CPS decided to charge Mr Huhne after police seized emails between his ex-wife and a journalist.

Announcing his resignation, Mr Huhne declared his innocence and vowed to clear his name. Last night, Miss Pryce, a prominent economist, said that she hoped for a “quick resolution” to the case.

On an extraordinary day of political drama, senior Liberal Democrats rushed to defend Mr Huhne, who has repeatedly denied the accusation.

In a letter to Mr Huhne following his resignation, Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, said: “I fully understand your decision to stand down from Government in order to clear your name, but I hope you will be able to do so rapidly so that you can return to play a key role in Government as soon as possible.”

Vince Cable, the Lib Dem Business Secretary, added that he was “confident” that Mr Huhne would be cleared.

However, in his letter to the minister, David Cameron made no mention of the prospect of Mr Huhne returning to Government if he is cleared of the charges.

After praising Mr Huhne’s work in tackling climate change, Mr Cameron said: “Like the Deputy Prime Minister, I am sorry to see you leave the Government under these circumstances and wish you well for the future.”

Mr Huhne, 57, is the third Cabinet minister — and the second Liberal Democrat — to be forced to resign since the formation of the Coalition in 2010, following David Laws and Liam Fox.

His departure forced a mini-reshuffle which saw Ed Davey, a junior Liberal Democrat minister, promoted to the Cabinet as Energy Secretary.

Chris Huhne with girlfriend Carina Trimingham [Photo: Alan Davison]

The vacancy left by Mr Davey in the Department for Business was filled by Norman Lamb, a parliamentary aide to Mr Clegg. Mr Laws, who was forced to resign within days of the Coalition being formed, did not return to the Government despite speculation that he was poised to replace Mr Huhne.

The dramatic day in Westminster unfolded when the Prime Minister was informed by Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, at 9.10am yesterday that Mr Huhne was to be charged.

In a televised press conference at 10am, Kier Starmer, the country’s chief prosecutor, said: “All the available evidence, including the new material, has now been carefully considered by the CPS and we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Mr Huhne and Miss Pryce for perverting the course of justice.

“The essence of the charges is that, between March and May 2003, Mr Huhne, having allegedly committed a speeding offence, falsely informed the investigating authorities that Miss Pryce had been the driver of the vehicle in question, and she falsely accepted that she was the driver. They are due to appear in court on February 16 this year.”

Within an hour, Mr Huhne announced his resignation in a 30-second statement outside the £1 million house he shares with his partner, Carina Trimingham.

He said: “I am innocent of these charges and I intend to fight this in the courts and I am confident that a jury will agree. So as to avoid any distraction to either my official duties or my trial defence, I am standing down, resigning, as Energy and Climate Change Secretary. I will, of course, continue to serve my constituents in Eastleigh.”